Market Closes as Trader Tests Positive for COVID-19
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11 June 2020 13:06 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Jakarta Administration decided to temporarily close a traditional market that housed a confirmed COVID-19 case for one day. The PD Pasar Jaya president-director Arief Nasrudin on Thursday said that the one-day closure will be used to disinfect areas within the market that had traces of the confirmed case.
“We are unable to close [the market] for a prolonged period of time since it bears a vital role,” said Arief to Tempo on Thursday.
According to him, the government discovered positive cases of COVID-19 infection in eight markets managed under the government-run PD Pasar Jaya. There are 60 markets spread across the capital city.
In terms of the brief closure of the market in question, Nasrudin said that prolonged closure of a market can affect price stability and supply for the thousands of Jakarta residents, and could create a domino effect where the closure of one market crowds another market.
“The risks will also be higher. The economy will be deeply affected if the market is closed for a long time,” said Nasrudin who encouraged market traders to self-isolate once they are found positive for COVID-19.
IMAM HAMDI